Unfortunate events always come without warning.
Perhaps that’s why we call them misfortunes.
A traffic accident involving a beloved family member, an incurable disease that suddenly strikes one day, or a sudden layoff from a job one has dedicated a lifetime to.
How can we prepare for such disasters akin to natural calamities? The best we can do is simply accept them, just as I accepted the fact that I had entered the world of the game I was playing.
“…Hah.”
At first, I thought I had fallen into a mental illness where I couldn’t distinguish reality from a dream. Or perhaps I had unknowingly consumed an intensely hallucinogenic drug—countless reasons flitted through my mind as I denied reality.
But it’s been three months since then. I’ve come to the point where I must accept that this place isn’t a dream or an illusion; it’s the real world.
Of course, it’s a world from a game, too.
‘I guess you could call it possession…’
I don’t remember anything about why or how I was possessed. It just happened out of the blue one day. I fell asleep after a tiring day at my part-time job, only to wake up in the world of that game.
What happened to my original body?
Did I die just like that?
I held no particular sentiment for my original self. I had no parents, and even my closest friend was just a childhood companion. Still, losing my original body like this made me feel empty.
After letting out a short sigh, I gazed into the mirror beside my bed.
Smooth, pure white hair cascading down without a single strand out of place, clear and transparent eyes reminiscent of a calm sea, skin as pale as snow, and cherry-red lips blooming above it all.
Yeah, anyone could tell those weren’t features typical of a man.
“Why on earth did I possess a woman…?”
I became a woman.
More precisely, I became a noble young lady.
When I first looked in the mirror, I couldn’t help but scream. All the body parts I had known for 20 years had vanished, and there were two breasts that had blossomed roundly before me.
I wondered if the influx of female hormones had changed my mind as well; it felt like I had spiraled into a sudden depression due to the abrupt physical transformation.
Perhaps because I was out of my mind, three months passed by in a flash.
I accepted that I had been possessed, but even now, I couldn’t adapt to the fact that I was living life as a woman. I had lived as a man for 20 years, and it wouldn’t be easy to take on a woman’s life in just a few days.
However, I had gathered quite a bit of information over the past three months regarding the news of the world and who I was. I reckoned it was a result of diligently studying while cooped up in my room.
I had learned shocking and surprising facts by reading the newspaper and asking the maid about various things.
This place was, in fact, the world from the [Princess Raising Simulation] game I had once played.
My doubts arose when I realized the Emperor’s name and names of some powerful figures overlapped with characters from the game, and I became certain when I discovered that the name of the Empire I was living in was Solatis.
You might wonder why a man would ever play such a game. Still, it had been a hit in the online gaming scene.
With a surprisingly high degree of freedom and stunning illustrations of female characters and male leads, it garnered many positive reviews. Of course, if I had known I would end up possessing a character in it, I would have refunded it and run away immediately…
Anyway, this was the game world. And the owner of the body I possessed was an NPC named Tina Blanc.
Tina Blanc was the only daughter of the declining Blanc baron family. In the game, she was merely a pretty NPC extra, limited to a few meaningless lines as one of the supporting characters.
“Is it fortunate that even a fallen noble is still a noble…?”
I guess it’s better than possessing a commoner. This world is a thoroughly stratified society. Even though it’s a failing baron family, wearing the facade of a noble is far better.
In a society where even a mere glance from a noble could lead to losing one’s head, being possessed as a commoner is nothing short of a nightmare. Personally, I was thinking positively, aside from the fact that I had possessed a female character.
Letting out a short sigh, I looked into the mirror again.
“Well, I am pretty…”
I couldn’t help but exclaim at my beauty. Deciding to think positively about my situation, I figured that being a woman wouldn’t be so bad as long as I was pretty.
Tina Blanc was among the pretty NPCs in the game. Her appearance could compare favorably even with the main characters, and her rare white hair added to her allure.
Of course, as an NPC, she had no other charm. Her character was merely described as quiet and book-loving, with no exceptional qualities to make her stand out to players, but at the very least, her looks were indeed splendid.
I took a final deep breath to clear my complicated feelings. Regardless of what happened, I was going to live Tina Blanc’s life. At least that much I had been able to accept over three months.
‘Now, it’s time to think.’
I sat at my desk, unfurled a piece of parchment, and took out a fountain pen. I enumerated the game knowledge that came to mind in chronological order and contemplated what needed to be done going forward.
At least it was fortunate that I had viewed the ending of the game several times. I had a decent understanding of the world.
The genre of [Princess Raising Simulation] was varied. There were combat elements, strategic elements where power could be grown and territories seized, and if one disliked those, there were romance simulation paths to undertake relationships with surrounding characters and wrap up the story.
While those elements were diverse, they all ultimately dealt with the growth of the female protagonist.
In this game, players choose to start with one of the two protagonists. Given the title [Princess Raising Simulation], one might assume the protagonist is a princess of some kingdom, but that wasn’t the case at all.
I still couldn’t understand why the game was called Princess Raising Simulation.
Viviana Merdellia.
She was the young lady of the Merdellia Duke family, one of the four great duke households of the Empire. With an incredibly supportive family background, hidden connections, and monstrous stats, she was a protagonist who could easily fit into the munchkin genre.
The downside was that she often had a tendency to fall from grace, leading to a swift path to bad endings.
The other female protagonist was Lilian Eldoria.
Because her family had declined, all that remained was the name, and in reality, she was a mid-ranking priest living in a temple. While her background was significantly lacking compared to Viviana’s, Lilian would eventually be chosen as the saintess of the Goddess Church.
With a setting aimed to be loved by the world, she could easily gain a character with the potential to become an imperial consort and govern the Empire, provided she chose her options wisely.
‘Unlike me, they’re all so solid…’
One was the daughter of a crumbling noble family.
Well, I’ll save my lamenting for later and get back to the point.
As is the case in games, there are, of course, villainous factions. There was the Kaladwen Kingdom opposing the Empire and the corrupted clergy believing in non-existent demons.
In such a world, what was I supposed to do?
Well, what could I do anyway?
My immediate priority was my own survival.
I drew lines on the parchment. Looking at just the stats of the protagonist, it was clear that this story was not one an ordinary daughter of a declining baron could handle.
This world was definitely not easy.
It’s not like a lucky event exists where one can munchkinize just by consuming a potion, nor could I lead a flamboyant life as if I brought a successful business idea from Korea like in some romantic fantasy.
Even if by chance a business succeeded, I would eventually end up losing it to the scrutiny of powerful merchants.
Only through consistent and diligent effort could I grow, and among numerous choices, I had to head down the right path to see a happy ending.
For me, who built walls around diligence, this became a burdensome story. If I were truly diligent in my life, I wouldn’t have replayed this game countless times.
In a way, it seemed fitting that I possessed Tina, as it made sense for a supporting character to possess another supporting character.
Though, it’s not entirely hopeless.
Since I had a rough idea of the game’s flow, recalling the knowledge from my past life would undoubtedly prove useful. While there may not be a method to amass enormous wealth, I could at least live by scraping together enough to eat using this information.
Honestly, that was all I needed. I had zero desire to strive hard and succeed; all I wanted was to lead a comfortable life with minimal effort.
Maybe it could be said that I wanted just an ordinary unemployed life.
As for the villains or story progressions… I believed the two protagonists would handle everything just fine.
However, I couldn’t do anything by myself. It’s common sense; I’m just an ordinary person. No matter how much I knew about the future, I would let that information wither as nothing significant if I’m the one using it.
I needed an ally who could help me. Someone who could leverage my knowledge for their own benefit.
There was indeed one person that came to mind. Her help was crucial for my blissful unemployed life.
Knock, knock—
“Miss, may I come in?”
Amid my deep thoughts, a voice from outside pulled me back from my musings. I cleared my throat, steadied myself, and replied calmly.
“Come in.”
As soon as I finished speaking, the door opened, revealing a mature woman with brown hair. Her name is certainly Renihel. This woman, who appeared to be significantly older than me, had faithfully served the Blanc family for 15 years.
Though it was a declining family, it seemed there were still sufficient funds to employ a maid.
“The Baron requests your presence, young lady.”
At Renihel’s words, I blinked in surprise for a moment.
‘Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.’
It was odd that they had not summoned me in three months, but now seemed to call for me—was this just a coincidence?
Well, either way, this was good news. I had been thinking it was about time to search for her.
She was the person I had mentioned earlier. A crucial ally needed for my unemployed lifestyle. She was more capable, stronger, and truly remarkable in many ways.
“Take me to Mother right away.”
This was the moment I would finally meet the one I would refer to as Mother after three long months.
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